Birds of a
feather: Ripken took shot on Derby winner
Orioles great followed signs to unlikely pick, victory at
Churchill Downs
By Peter Schmuck | The Baltimore Sun
May 12, 2009 - Generally, you're not going to find a good rationale for
betting a
50-1 long shot in the Daily Racing Form, so the bettors who laid down
their hard-earned cash on Mine That Bird to win the Kentucky Derby
probably had their own reasons.
Take Cal and Kelly Ripken, for instance.
The Ripkens have made a practice of attending the Derby every year
with a group of friends, and they couldn't help but notice the seeming
Cal-vergence of circumstances that pointed to the supposed no-chance
entry from New Mexico.
The horse is called Mine That Bird, which appealed to the man who
played for the Orioles all those years, and it was going to be ridden
by Calvin Borel, who shares a first name with the Orioles Hall of
Famer. The fact that the horse was coming out of the No. 8 slot
clinched it. How could Cal and Kelly and all their friends not bet on
Mine That Bird?
Ripken spokesman John Maroon confirmed that the entire suite bet the
long shot and had quite a celebration after he made a Seabiscuit-like
run for the roses. No word, however, on how much was bet or won,
though it's pretty hard not to win a significant amount of money when
a 50-1 shot comes in.
So, will they let it ride on the Preakness?
Apparently not. Maroon said Cal and Kelly are not planning to attend
the second jewel of racing's Triple Crown.